


The Unlaws Drabble Dump

by irlseraph



Category: Fallen Hero Series - Malin Rydén, Fallen Hero: Rebirth (Video Game)
Genre: Drabble Collection, M/M, Other, currently nothing explicit but will add tags as they become applicable, i'll be adding tags as they become applicable, idk this is just where im dumping all my jude/ray shit, non-binary amab character, so i can accost my friends with more ease
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-11-27 18:09:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20952701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irlseraph/pseuds/irlseraph
Summary: A collection of the Ray/Jude drabbles I've done with konryo's sidestep Jude Unlaw and my sidestep Ray





	1. Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> The inevitable meeting... that's it that's the drabble

Ray was pacing, bare feet sticking to the humid, warped wood of their apartment floor. They normally weren’t one for pacing, instead preferring to think sitting down or leave the building altogether. Today, though. Today was different. 

There had been someone in the apartment. Ray had come back from a visit to the Rangers, one of far too many these past months, and had come home to see their door wide open and a man making himself far too comfortable at their dingy coffee table. Any thought of it being a simple burglary flew from Ray’s mind and instantly their thoughts had shifted to potential exit routes and the suit stored in the back room. A single sentence from the man shut thoughts of fleeing down immediately.

“Huh, didn’t know you were Riot,” he’d said.

Instantly Ray raised their mental shields, startled. The only way the man could know that would be if he was a telepath or if someone had figured out Ray’s identity. Ray wasn’t sure which was worse. The man, reacting to their face, laughed. “Relax. I’m not here about your little anarchism operation.” He stood up, long legs stretching beneath him. “I have work for you, if you’re interested.”  
Ray was wary, ever suspicious, but they had to admit the man had the upper hand here. Ray would have to play along for the moment. “What sort of work?”

The man gesticulated as he spoke. “Simple hack job. I want to make sure it’s done right, and I’m pretty sure you’re the best in this city. Town. Whatever.”

“What makes you think that,” Ray asked as they crossed their arms across their chest.

“You live in a shithole apartment with good broadband. That, and I’ve done some digging.”

Ray narrowed their eyes, studying the man. Tall. Muscled. Vain, if his neatly trimmed beard and styled hair were any indication. Charismatic. His clothes oozed dirty money. Definitely bad news, but… it never hurt to have friends in high places, and Ray’s skimming had never awarded them much wiggle room in their budget.  
“Let me think about it,” Ray said, striding through their apartment to their bedroom, ignoring the feeling of the man’s eyes boring into their back. And now, here they were, pacing back and forth, thinking. They’d been trying to figure out a way to wriggle out of the job, but despite all their rumination, they could think of no way to get the man out without risking pissing him off. And with the man knowing their identity… No, it would be simpler to just do the job and be done with it.

They opened the door, watching as the man turned to face them from his chair. “Fine, walk me through what you need. But this is a one-time thing; I don’t want to be your go-to hacker.”

The man smirked. “You’re not gonna ask me how much I’m going to pay?”

“We both know you’ll pay fairly. You said you’ve done some digging on me. That means you know any one of your probably fifteen off-shore accounts are fair game for me.”

“Good point.” The man turned to reach for a bag Ray hadn’t noticed him having, and tossed a file onto the nearby table. “It’s all in there. Let me know when you’re done and I’ll wire you the money.”

“Alright. Now get out.”

Infuriatingly, the man didn’t turn to leave, either unaware of or indifferent to Ray’s urgency to get him out of their apartment. He instead raised a well-manicured hand, leaving it out and extended. “I don’t consider a deal done until both parties shake on it.”  
“Are you serious,” Ray deadpanned.

“What do you think?”

Ray paused a moment then slowly, reluctantly, raised their hand to meet his. Their palms met, brought up and back down in a single, firm shake, but when Ray moved to pull away, the man grasped their hand firmly, pulling them back in. He drew a single finger down the skin of Ray’s hand, caressing the flesh lightly, and bent down slightly to murmur in Ray’s ear. The slight scent of aftershave and cologne rolled off the man’s skin, surprisingly woody, and Ray would have leapt back if not for the firm grip on his hand.

“Don’t disappoint me.” The man’s tone was friendly and warm, but Ray knew a threat when they heard one. Drawing back, the man released Ray’s hand and left, leaving Ray standing in their kitchen, file left unopened on the table.

The door latch clicked as the man shut it behind him, and Ray listened to the descent of his footsteps, unmoving.

“… Crazy fucker.”


	2. Wall ... Stuff

The wall was cold and rough beneath Ray's splayed fingers, bumps in the plaster rubbing against their forearms. The feeling was strange, foreign—Ray was normally hyper aware of their forearms being uncovered, preferring to keep their shirt sleeves pulled fully down. The coolness was nice, though. A welcome contrast to the heated flesh digging into their hips.

How many times had Ray lost themselves to the heat of Jude’s embrace? God… by now they’d lost count. Every time between them always seemed to end the same way: with Ray pressed against a wall, trembling and choking back words neither of them were ready to hear.

Ray felt the broad chest shift against their back, thick chords of muscles flexing beneath the skin. “What are you thinking about?” A low whisper echoed in Ray’s ear, the puff of breath making their heart lurch in their chest.

“Now I’m thinking you need a lesson in respecting personal space,” Ray said. Their voice was remarkably even, far more steady than Ray felt.

“You gonna be my teacher?” He pressed ever closer.

They snorted, but it was a fragile and breathy sound. “Somehow I doubt you’d be a good student.”

The hands at their hips softened and Ray turned to face their captor. The smirk they found plastered on Jude’s face was nothing short of sinful.

“You could always put me in detention you know. Spank me for being a naughty boy.” There was a twitch to Jude’s brows as he spoke, and in a different situation Ray was sure he would have waggled them up and down. Ridiculous.

Ray raised a hand to Jude’s face, gingerly grasping the frame of his glasses and pulling them away. “You’d enjoy it too much.”

“True.”

The pair paused, each watching the other. Normally Ray didn’t pay much attention to faces and actively avoided eyes. Too personal—often saw too much and too little, hard to defend against. But Jude’s eyes bored into them so easily, so entirely, that it left Ray with nothing to guard or hide. Being stripped of their walls and defenses, their lies… it was dangerous, but it became addictive. Eventually Ray, without even realizing it, began to seek those eyes out, and a general appreciation for the rest of his face quickly followed.

“You like what you see?”

Ray narrowed their eyes and pursed their lips. “Yes. Makes me want to punch you, actually.”

Jude laughed, the sound deep and far down in his throat. “You have an odd way of giving compliments.”

Before Ray could respond, Jude moved forward, one hand cupping the back of Ray’s neck, fisting into their hair, while the other slid to the small of Ray’s back, pulling their bodies flush together. Ray could feel one of Jude’s legs move between theirs, pressing. As Ray gasped, Jude’s head tilted to the side, and soon his lips were moving against Ray’s open ones. The kiss was slow but firm, a prelude to what was to come, and Ray’s hand hovered midair for a beat before finally gripping onto the fabric surrounding Jude’s shoulders.

"Jude..."

A grunt was the only answer Ray got.

"Jude. The wall is hurting my back."

Jude froze, and Ray could hear the echo of thoughts that went through his mind. Jude knew an invitation when he heard one. "Then let's take this somewhere else..."


	3. Tender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jude is tender and Ray is having none of it (thanks kornyo for roleplaying with me)

"You're beautiful" is a soft whisper that escaped his lips as his calloused fingers traced the bright orange patterns against Ray's tan skin. Jude didn't realize he'd said his thoughts out loud, hadn't even meant to, but had been too fascinated with every inch of Ray's tan body. With each inch he uncovered, bitter anger bubbled through him--the pain he felt himself so clearly copied onto Ray's flesh.

Underneath the horrendous orange that reminded both of what they were--inhuman, _fake_\--the skin was peppered with scars, hundreds of deep cuts, each showcasing a time Ray had been cut open, suffered; each a reminder of a time they hadn't been there for each other. Had been alone.

But Ray had survived, and each scar was a beautiful reminder that they were _alive_.

Jude felt Ray tense beneath him, suddenly closed off and moving to sit up. 

"Ray. What's wrong," Jude asked, the concern that bubbled up in his chest catching him off guard. When had the fellow re-gene become so important to him? So precious? The care he felt for Ray... it was dangerous, a weakness, but somehow it felt inevitable. How could he not care? He saw himself mirrored in Ray's eyes--saw the same pain and fear, the same anger. But he also saw weakness, a fragility he discarded long ago.

Ray wasn't weak, but sometimes Jude worried they might shatter at the hands of the world around them.

"Sorry. I just... it was too much, you saying that." Ray sat up fully as they spoke, swinging their legs to the side to lean over the side of the bed. Their hands clutched at the loose material of their pants, causing wrinkles to form on the surface. Ray's shirt hung open around their frame, the neon light of the tattoos a harsh contrast against dark skin.

Seeing Ray hunched over, a prisoner in their own mind, made Jude's inside recoil. He knew being a re-gene had its price; he had the same self-loathing, fear, and doubt. Especially fear. But it made them human, was proof of it. Ray just... didn't see it. Couldn't.

Wouldn't.

His knees hit the ground hard with a loud thump and he felt them ache terribly, a sharp pain that makes his limbs momentarily numb. But he doesn't wince, or flinch. He's focused entirely on the broken form in front of him.

"Ray," he breathed hoarsely, reverently, willing their eyes to meet his. "Please, look at me." Ray hesitated long enough for Jude to lift their chin. Slowly, he traced their lower lip with his thumb as he spoke. "You've... suffered. Too much. But you've _endured._ And you've remained something beautiful, even if it's warped; even if you can't see it. Nothing in the world will change that."

Ray's eyes widened. In a different moment Jude might have found it humorous, endearing even, especially considering that immediately following his statement Ray's face flushed hotly. 

"... Fuck. You--you're gonna be a shitty villain if you keep spewing romantic shit like that. No one's gonna respect you." Ray's brows were knit together tightly, and they looked away, deflecting. 

"You know you're the only one I'm sweet to, Ray." Yes... only Ray. There wasn't another person alive that knew this side of Jude--hell, he hadn't even known he'd had it in him until Ray had stumbled into his life. Jude moved his hand from Ray's lips to their cheek, reveling in the slight scratch of hair along their jawline. A cruel smile slid onto Jude's face. He was, after all, a villain. Too many roses and flowery words... were boring. And he wasn't about to try fixing Ray's self-image problems in a single night. "Ray, look at me. Or I'll keep complimenting you."

Immediately their head swiveled around, eyes narrowing into a glare. "Don't you dare."

Jude stood, knees creaking and protesting as they straightened out. Sometimes Jude felt old, and feeling his kneecaps popping beneath his skin wasn't helping. He leaned forward, trapping Ray in a cage with his arms. "You're cute when you're mad. But you're even cuter when you're embarrassed."

Again the blush colored Ray's cheeks. "Jesus Christ. What happened to you being sweet to me?"

"Hmm." Jude hummed, and clicked his tongue against his teeth. "If you want me to be sweet, you only have to ask, Ray. Anything you want, I'll give it to you."

"Yes, you've never had much of any problem 'giving it to me,' have you," Ray deadpanned. "Despite your assurances, at the moment, the only thing you're giving me is a headache."

Jude pursed his lips, pouting. "You're so ornery. Prickly. Cantankerous. Gru--"

"If you say even one more synonym for 'cranky' I'm going home. I'm not kidding," Ray said. Whenever Ray spoke they managed to phrase things in a way that implied being spoken to was a personal affront against them, and was highly exhausting, which always made reading when he'd gone too far a bit difficult for Jude. 

Maybe one last jab. "Alright, alright... No need to be crabby."

Ray fixed him with a stare than communicated exasperation and intense disappointment, but said nothing. 

"I'm done. Promise."

Still Ray stared. The moment slowed, the two just staring into each other's eyes. Unblinking. The only sound in the room was their slow, steady breathing. Then, quickly, like a viper, Ray's hand shot out to grip the back of Jude's neck, the other wrapping around his arm. They pulled and in a single, fluid moment, had thrown themself onto the bed, propelling Jude along, rolling to eventually settle on top of him.

"Oof," Jude gasped. "If you wanted to get back to business, you could have, you know, just said so?"

Ray's hands moved to his jugular, lightly kneading, heat radiating from their palms. "Sure, I could have. And you would have sassed me for another five minutes."

"Please, anything less that seven is doing me an injustice--" 

Ray cut Jude off, squeezing his neck a bit more harshly. "--So I've decided the best thing to do would just be to shut you up."

Jude's pulse fluttered and the muscles in his abdomen tensed. Ray's hands moved slowly, too slowly, down his still-clothed body. Embarrassingly out of breath already, Jude tilted his head to the side. "Promise?" 

The kiss Ray placed on his lips was demanding and harsh. It was the only answer Jude needed.


	4. Do you still love him?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ray is conflicted and Jude is confrontational

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lil bit of m!Ortega/Ray

"How long is this going to keep going on, Ray? How many times are we going to have this fight?"

"I don't know, why don't you tell me? You're the only one with a problem, as far as I can tell."

"Bullshit!"

Ray knew their voices could be heard through the building. They were already almost shouting, and the paper-thin walls weren't helping. Ray's only comfort was in the fact that this building was mostly vacant. That suited their purposes fine; they liked their privacy.

Privacy they were certainly missing now. 

Ray preferred to go to Jude's whenever possible. If apartments were reflections of the lives of their tenants, anyone would assume Jude was flourishing. Lavish paintings, floor-length windows, and luxury furniture. Bright and clean and stylish, in the nice part of town. Ray's apartment was dark and musty and had something growing on the side of one wall.

It was falling apart almost as quickly as Ray was.

Ray's hands tightened into fists then released. God, they wanted to get away. They also knew Jude wouldn't let them. They pinched the bridge of their nose between their fingers, hair falling around their face. "Jude, please. Can we do this later?"

Jude crossed his arms, fabric pulling taught against his chest. "You always say that, always deflect. 'Let's do this later,' 'Not now.' When are you going to realize this is important?"

Ray's lips thin and they look away.

"You're going to fuck up. One way or another."

"That's my problem. Not yours."

Jude looked taken aback. "Not my--Am I supposed to watch you just... give them opportunities to catch you? And do nothing?"

"I'm not asking you to stick around." Ray crossed their arms, defensively. The words instantly felt cruel leaving their mouth, but they can't take them back. Won't.

"Stop it. Stop doing this."

Ray looked away. They can't meet Jude's eyes; if they do... Jude has an easy enough time seeing through them as it is. Ray can't bear to have him see them now; they're too fragile. They've spent too long rebuilding themselves to just break all over again.

God, Jude was turning them dramatic.

"Believe it or not, I put a fair amount of forethought into what I do, Jude. I don't jump into things, guns-a-blazing."

"Oh, so now I'm the risk taker?"

Ray glared. "I'd say making an enemy of Hollow Ground puts a pretty big fucking target on you, wouldn't you?"

"That's different."

"How?!"

Jude grabbed their shoulders and bodily shook them. "I don't give anyone second chances! I finish. The. Job."

Ray looked away again, anger coiling in their gut. "I'm not a killer."

"Is that what this is about?" Jude looked equal parts surprised and disbelieving. "Fine. Then I'll do it. Killing the Rangers would be easy enough."

Jude turned as if to leave and Ray grabbed him, frantic. "Don't! Don't even joke about that."

"Why do you care," Jude asked, exasperated.

"I don't know. I don't..." Ray shook their head. It didn't clear anything. "I don't know."

Ray knew nothing good would come of being with the Rangers. How could it? They were the Rangers and Ray... Ray was Riot. They couldn't co-exist. But being in the tower, with the old team--new team--was quickly growing addicting. Almost made Ray feel close to normal. 

Ortega almost treated Ray like he still...

"Do you still love him?"

Ray's eyes widened.

"Do you?"

"I--"

Jude laughed, but it was sharp. A humorless, angry thing. He ran his hand through his hair, turning away from Ray.

Seconds passed, then minutes, before he turned to face Ray again. Before he even could. "Figure it out. Ray, I... please figure it out."

He began to move toward the door.

"Are you leaving?" Ray's voice is weak and quiet, even to their own ears, and Jude longs to go back.

"Yes."

"... Are you coming back?"

Jude looks at them. "Yes." Ray looked startled by the confession as Jude continued, "There's never been any question in my mind about what I feel for you."

The 'unlike you' remains unspoken between the two.

Jude looked at Ray a few seconds more, trying to ignore the trembling of their hands, before walking out of the apartment. Ray listened to the creak of the stairs leading out of the apartment building and slid down the wall, burying their head in their hands.

"Fuck."


	5. Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's getting cold in Los Diablos

“Los Diablos never gets this cold this early.”

Jude looked over at Ray, almost puzzled. “It’s well above freezing, Ray. It’s not cold.”

“Easy for you to say,” Ray glared, but the look was made infinitely less threatening by the fact that it was half-covered by their curtain of hair whipping around their face. “You’re covered in man-bush.”

Jude snorted. “I’ll have you know I keep my beard well-groomed, thanks much.”

Ray didn’t respond, preoccupied with spitting their hair out of their mouth. Jude watched Ray struggle, silently delighting in their frustration over so simple a thing.

“Ray, sweetheart, just tie it back?”

Another glare. “Absolutely not. My hair looks good today and it’s keeping my ears warm.” 

Something warm bubbled deep in Jude’s chest, slowly working its way up his throat and morphing into a gravelly chuckle. He threw an arm around Ray’s shoulders, drawing them close. Ray stumbled, shrinking into themselves ever so slightly before relaxing again. Months ago Ray probably would have punched him for startling them, but now Ray leaned into the touch. Feeling them settled against him, Jude bent down, face next to Ray’s, and caught a tendril of the black hair between his fingers; caressed it.

Soft. So much softer than it had any right to be. 

“Stop complaining,” Jude whispered in their ear, with half a mind to punctuate his point by nipping it. The way Ray’s eyelids drooped as he spoke was almost hypnotic.

“Why would I, when it always gets me what I want?” Their voice was low, almost swallowed by the wind.

Jude’s laughter made his chest rumble. “You’re so spoiled.”

“That’s your fault, you know.”

“Yeah, I know.” Jude pressed his lips to Ray’s temple—briefly, not enough to be noticed—and withdrew his arm. “Come on, let’s get you out of the cold.”


End file.
